I don't eat any fruit or veg.

[MeeeowthThatsRight]

Background : Severe MH problems alongside being ND and having physical health problems.

Completely given up last few years on food front. Severely ND child with ARFID who eats same thing everyday.

Food /cooking is nothing but a chore and i live off crisps/toast/mcdonalds/whatever is in freezer from iceland.

I know its shit but its not just 'laziness'
Yesterday I thought i should try harder so bought all salad stuff and had a sort of 90s mum salad. Ham, beef, lots of salad, coleslaw, a boiled egg... and Inreally had to force myself to eat it as it made me feel sick.

Its hard to explain, i liked the taste, but the texture and the the smells just made it really difficult.

I always feel like that, especially with meat (but not mcds burgers 🤨🙄)

Obviously tied in with the autism.

I didn't used to be this way, I used to eat so, so healthy but i think a combination of everything over the years and DDs ARFID diagnosis just made me give up on trying

That sounds very hard for you. Could you ask your GP for a referral to a dietician who will understand your background and needs? Have you had any support for DD’s AFRID?

Re the salad - I think perhaps it was too much too soon to try all those ingredients together at once (my DM used to make salads like that too!) and small steps to trying to introduce fruit and vegetables would be a better approach.

That sounds really difficult, well done for trying! I think that shows great determination and awareness of your situation X

Rather than jump straight into eating salads all the time, I would try and introduce small changes such as swapping something for healthy alternatives eg white for brown bread, an extra glass of water at certain points in the day, aim for one piece of fruit a day etc and if you can make it a permanent change each day so write down what you're going to eat and make it so routine it isnt a new thing or negotiable thing anymore that may help x

Easy and healthy breakfast ideas:
Glass of water + tea
Scrambled egg on wholegrain toast
Porridge with honey and banana
Granola and yoghurt with berries

Maybe try starting smaller than a salad? Buy some grapes or some pre-cut fruit perhaps. Pre-cut is handy because you don't have the barrier of also peeling and chopping.

If it's a texture thing with salad veg, maybe cooked veg would be better? Soups or stews are very healthy. Things like hidden veg pasta sauces too.

The thing is I really like it! I do like salad and quiche and things like that but at the same time It makes me want to heave.

Its so weird.

DD had support from an ARFID clinic during diagnosis but no follow up. Thwy basically said just let her eat what she wants and don't force anything on her.

Ok so what textures work for you? We might be able to suggest some options for veg or fruit that would work /easy ways to cook things to get your diet improved.

no judgement here.

I agree about the too much too soon. I love salads but if I’m feeling fragile, the last thing I would be able to stomach is egg, meat etc all together.
I would start off with small changes and make them habits so they stick. For example, if you’re having burger and chips, start halving your portion of chips and having half chips, half brocolli. If you’re having cereal, start adding a handful of fruit. All these habits soon stack up and make a difference. Good luck OP!

Im the same and my partner is food averse and eats only fried chicken burgers or kebabs. If we buy veg it goes to waste. We both manage frozen sweetcorn and peas occasionally along with chips and roast potatoes but that's about it. Also no fruit. So many snacks and ice-cream but not much real food. We take good vitamins and normal weight, he's under weight at the minute but trying to gain. Are you getting any help?

I’m the same as you OP - I’m also autistic and have severe sensory issues around food and drink. I can’t even drink plain water unless it’s ice cold or I’ll gag and vomit. I just take regular vitamins and try not to worry about it too much.

Omg same. I have a filtered water machine as tap water smells like wet dog to me. I have to have ice with it too

I agree to try smaller changes and also play around with sizes, shapes and how it's cooked. My son will have raw carrot batons but won't eat cooked sliced carrot for example. Try fresh, frozen, tinned anc dried varieties. If you like the crunch style texture of food then raw carrots, cucumber and apples would be good for you. If you like juicy and soft then steamed broccoli or melon would be good. With salad you can mix it with anything you like. Also play around with temperature. Don't put any pressure on yourself and try to take a very well mixed multivitamin everyday. In my area it's very difficult to get help with afrid and ND eating. But you can always ask and search for online resources. Well done for trying and posting

Whatever you do, make sure you are taking supplements to help with the ARFID. I get some food sensory issues too but nothing as extreme as this.

My friend has similar issues, and she mixes this powder with a bit of juice or smoothie and downs it. It was recommended to her by a mutual fietiican friend. Whilst not a substitute for fresh fruit and veg, it does give some of the benefits.

https://gandgvitamins.com/products/kids-rainbow-foods?variant=52646908068178&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23638607904&gbraid=0AAAAAqSSXy8D0TsYjggkg8YrJnrZdkNa_&gclid=Cj0KCQjw54nRBhDCARIsAMcY_SB3dQ55fGdL3Ir2MM_eV6jRkXIYstsE7tJQbexaojGQ8T3QTAecHpsaAhphEALw_wcB

Roast vegetables. They taste so much better

Unless your diet is making you unwell or giving you digestive issues, I’d not beat yourself up about it. I’d make sure to take a good vitamin and mineral supplement.

Multivitamins

then if you are really bothered after that try new things. Sounds like processed works for you so maybe mushy peas or carrot and swede mash

I am supposed to have a high protein diet :(

Yes I am prescribed them by my GP x

I can only drink tap water if it’s been sat in the fridge and has ice added to it 😂 I have regular blood tests to check my vitamins because of another health condition and they’ve never flagged any problems.

They’re also a textural nightmare! The only roast vegetables I can regularly tolerate are sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.

I was going to suggest pre prepared , it won't be so overwhelming eating little bits.
@MeeeowthThatsRight it sounds hard have you been to the GP they might refer you to a dietitian or maybe you could try an eating disorder charity.

There are a few foods I gag on like this and I find that adding an acid flavour (eg lemon juice, vinegar) or a spicy flavour helps.

Another thing I wonder if could help you is adding small amounts of eg salad to a safe food (so add a pinch of cress or a sliced mini tomato or whatever feels safe) to your mcD burger and building up the amounts. That's very dependent on how you feel about mixing your foods - I'm very ambivalent about it myself but that is how I stopped gagging on leafy salads.

One last thing, if you're feeling horrible about all foods it can be difficult to do, but sometimes there's one or two in the mix that actually you really hate and you can give yourself permission not to ever have them. You're pushing yourself hard because you hate all of it, but perhaps there are some bits you don't hate as much as other bits. Was there anything in the salad you found worse going than the rest of it? If so, ditch that and start disentangling your reactions to other things. Finding nuance in your tastebuds can help you find little avenues to go down where you can desensitize yourself.

I think a lot of the advice on this thread, while well-meaning, comes from people with absolutely no experience of autism or ARFID and the challenges it presents.

Buying pre-prepared makes no difference as it’s the texture of the food once it’s in your mouth that’s the issue. Roasting things can often make the texture even worse and even more unpredictable.

Just yesterday I took a bite out of a banana and had to spit it out and rinse my mouth out to stop myself from being sick - I’d eaten the rest of the bunch earlier in the week with no issues. The amount of food I’ve chucked in the bin over the years is ridiculous!

If you eat spag bol , curry & chilli type meals try grating carrot into it when you are making them it's hardly noticeable .

What did you want from your thread op did you want advice/suggestions or just to maybe put down your thoughts and chat about it your eating I appreciate what a pp said about well meaning advice.

What are you like with soup op?

It’s just veg and sometimes meat, if you make it yourself you can blend it so it’s totally smooth then as long as you don’t mind the taste of whatever you have made it opens up a a while world of veg. I don’t use one but there are soup makers that do the whole job for you.

Also what about fruit smoothies? The fruit juiced is not as good for you as it destroys the fibre but it’s better than no fruit. Again experiment with different types, you may not like seeded fruit like raspberries though as the seeds are very much ‘bits’.